Eligibility
A participant must meet the following requirements before becoming a McNair Scholar:
- Quarter and Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Completed at least 60 units (Transfers Exempt)
- US citizen or permanent resident
- Intention to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation
- Low income as defined by the US Department of Education and a first generation college student (where neither parent completed a 4-year degree)
Program Requirements and Expectations
All McNair participants are required to commit in writing to all program requirements and expectations. For a complete list, please contact us. Some requirements and expectations include:
- Participation in the UCSB Summer Research Program
- Attendance at weekly and/or bi-weekly seminars
- Completion of a one year academic research project
- Presentation of research at a national conference and at the UCSB undergraduate symposium
- Preparation for the GRE general examination
- Completion of a doctoral degree within ten (10) years of attaining a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara
Application Materials Required
To apply to the UCSB McNair Scholars Program you will need to obtain or produce the following:
- Two letters of recommendation from faculty or staff at UCSB or the community college you attended - one letter must be from a faculty member, instructor/lecturer, or a teaching assistant (TA). Please have your recommender submit their letter to us at mcnair@mcnair.ucsb.edu and we will upload it to your application.
- Three short statements (approximately 300-400 words each)- Please begin an application to see the prompts.
- Unofficial transcripts from UCSB and any community college you may have attended. Please email transcripts to mcnair@mcnair.ucsb.edu.
- Student Aid Report - obtained from https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Please email SAR to mcnair@mcnair.ucsb.edu.